Scotland's government has granted permission for the owners of the former oil and gas industry fabrication yard at Ardersier to resurrect the site only less than a month before the referendum on 18 September.

The Scottish government confirmed that Port of Ardersier Ltd has been granted full consent and that the group has already obtained planning permission in principle from the Highland Council.

If the yard is successfully turned into wind farms, then it could create 2,500 jobs.

The Ardersier yard is based in Whiteness Head, west of Nairn, and was originally used for the fabrication and construction of offshore platforms for use in the North Sea gas and oil industry.

However, after demand dropped, the site closed in 2001 and 4,500 lost their jobs.